Weaning babies brings a whole new set of challenges for nannies, especially if meal preparation falls to you and particularly if you have other mouths to feed at the same time! Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could feed everyone the same thing? Or at least make a few different meals and snacks all at once, from the same bunch of ingredients? Well, you can! Here are some great ideas for baby weaning meals that toddlers and bigger children (and nannies, mums and dads for that matter) can enjoy too.
Courgette, Pea & Bean Frittata (contains dairy and eggs): Once baby can master handling food and if they’re following a baby led weaning approach, these tasty little frittatas can be cut into small strips and larger wedges for bigger mouths. These are so yummy that you’ll want some for your lunch too! This recipe makes 6-8 decent slices.
INGREDIENTS: • 4 eggs • 1 courgette • 50g fresh or defrosted frozen peas • 150g broad beans • 50g grated cheddar • 1 handful of basil • Pinch of black pepper (optional)
METHOD: • Preheat the grill to 180c and grate the courgette then leave to drain • Cook the broad beans in boiling water until the skins soften • Run under cold water to cool the beans and then shell them • In a large bowl, beat the 4 eggs with the black pepper if desired. Add in the grated courgette, beans and peas • Stir in half of the grated cheese and the torn basil leaves • Heat a frying pan that can be later popped under a grill, with some olive oil • Add the mixture and cook until the bottom turns golden and the top starts to set • Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on the top and place under the grill for a few minutes until golden
Pumpkin Puree/Soup: Keep the consistency a little thicker for baby’s puree and blend the rest down to a thinner soup for older children (and grown-ups) to enjoy. Other lovely combinations are sweet potato and parsnip, leek and potato, and carrot and coriander. Batch cook this one for easy defrostable meals! This recipe makes two baby-sized servings.
INGREDIENTS: • 150g pumpkin 100g carrots 40g leeks 200ml water 1 tbsp of olive oil
METHOD: • Peel and dice all veg • Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add all the vegetables. Stir fry for 3 minutes • Add the water and bring to boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Cook for a further 5 minutes without the lid on if the consistency is still watery after 15 minutes. • Remove the pan from the heat and puree the vegetables to the thickness you need.
Rainbow Fruit Skewers: • 7 raspberries • 7 hulled strawberries • 7 tangerine segments • 7 cubes peeled mango • 7 peeled pineapple chunks • 7 peeled kiwi fruit cubes • 7 green grapes • 7 red grapes • 14 blueberries
While you’re introducing baby to new fruits, create some fun for the older ones by setting up a DIY skewer station where bite-sized chunks of fruit can be stuck onto a wooden skewer to create a rainbow of colours, tastes and textures. Be aware that pieces of harder fruit can be a choking hazard to babies and children, so grapes into quarters and blueberries in half, and use common sense when deciding what size chunks to prepare. And of course, always supervise children when using wooden skewers.
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